Friday Blues Fix

Over the past couple of years, I've enjoyed several great releases from the Canadian label Black Hen....recordings from artists like Jim Byrnes, The Sojourners, and the superlative Mississippi Sheiks tribute CD and DVD. Dawson was the driving force behind most of those recordings with his exquisite guitar work. Recently relocated to Nashville, Dawson has issued a CD of instrumental guitar tracks that simply must be heard. I got this disc in the mail last weekend, and I have played it at least once a day since then, and each time I hear something wonderful that I had not heard before. That's the mark of a great guitarist and tunesmith. Rattlesnake Cage is a marvelous recording that continues to reward with each listen. Below is a short clip of a tune where Dawson pays tribute to the lyrical style of Reverend Gary Davis, "The Altar At Center Raven."